The present invention relates to a process comprising at least the steps (A) chemical reaction of at least one organic compound in the presence of at least one heterogeneous catalyst in a reaction mixture and (B) removal of the at least one heterogeneous catalyst by means of a magnetic filter, and also the use of a magnetic filter for separating off catalyst particles in a process for the hydrogenation at least one organic compound.
Methods of separating catalyst particles from reaction mixtures are already known from the prior art.
DE 1 081 20 discloses a process for the hydrogenation of adipodinitrile and epsilon-aminocapronitrile to form hexamethylenediamine by means of a suspended Raney catalyst under superatmospheric pressure. After reaction of the organic compounds mentioned, the catalyst-rich suspension can be freed of catalyst particles present in suspension by means of a cyclone or a magnetic separator.
CA 2,328,391 A1 discloses a method of separating off liquid constituents of a suspension. For this purpose, the suspension, which originates, for example, from chemical reactions such as dehydrogenations, hydrogenations, transhydrogenations, aromatizations, hydrodenitrations, is firstly treated by means of filtration, decantation, separation by means of a hydrocyclone, etc., and a magnetic separation is subsequently carried out.
WO 2008/000808 A1 discloses a process, for example a hydroformylation, carbonylation, olefin oligomerization and polymerization reactions, in which catalysts comprising cobalt, nickel or iron are used. After carrying out the chemical reaction, the solid catalyst components are separated off by means of magnetic filters.
The prior art has not previously described any processes which make it possible for the reaction mixture to be freed virtually entirely of solid catalyst particles in order to obtain particularly pure reaction mixtures. The processes of the prior art are therefore still in need of improvement in respect of the purity of the reaction mixtures obtained. For this purpose, it is necessary, in particular, to improve the step of removal of the suspended heterogeneous catalyst particles in order to obtain reaction mixtures which have a particularly high purity, so that in further work-up steps for the reaction mixture, for example in a work-up by distillation, disadvantages such as coating of the distillation columns with catalyst or blockage of the feed lines and/or discharge lines can be avoided.